Soul's what stands out!

Our generation has seen a fair revival of soul music through talented vocalists like Adele, Lana Del Rey, John Legend etc. Again, like all genres covered in Musical Breakdown, the aim is to showcase is on what we really missed out on in terms of musical gold along the years.

Due to infusion of hip hop elements since the 90’s, R&B has seen a great resurfacing. A lot of this also rubbed off on what we understand as Soul music these days. Most of what we experience and consume as Soul in the 2000’s and 2010’s is usually a inspired and collaborated works with bringing rap and hip hop angles to the music to make the experience more relevant to the millennial listeners.

Neo Nair Choppers: Maersk Edition

Its been a while since I've designed a theme chopper and posted. Here's the latest idea that caught my attention. Working at Maersk for the last 4 months, I keep seeing models of Triple E container vessels, one of the biggest container ships in the world. I found the vessel an interesting subject for a custom motorcycle and let that idea flow. And here's what I made of it:

So The Poets Out Of the Bag!

Hey, you guys are aware that I've been writing for quite sometime now. Amongst my descriptions and areas of writing, I have always mentioned poetry but I have never found the right outlet to showcase it the right way.

So I did the next best thing: I started my own platform for the same.

I welcome you to Poetic Flights .

In the SPOTLIGHT: Damien Rice

 Damien Rice is an Irish acoustic pop/rock artist. What everyone generally knows about him is that, his music is widely used in TV shows like Greys Anatomy, Misfits, One Tree Hill and even several movies. I came across his songs on one of the Grey’s episodes that featured 9 crimes in the climax sequence. I was taken aback immediately by the bare boned structure of the songs: male vocals, female vocals and piano. It simply made the scene that was being depicted; honestly it was an OK one. But the song got the right chord struck to make me as an audience feel for that moment.

Chronicles of the World’s Most Elite Fighting Heroes- US Navy SEALs

Book recommendations and review

I’ve been a fanatic for books on Navy SEALs and American Sniper was the first book I picked up. What made me pick up the book? I came across the article about the book release on the Times. 160 kills ? Wicked! But as I read on, I realized the amazing world these elite men are made to reckon with. The SEALs are by far the toughest Special Operations Forces on the planet, in line with British SAS. 

 

  Believe it or not, but for the last 2 years I have read 6 books, all of them about these elite warriors. These books are essential military action packed novels for any aficionado to pick up. Readers have realized this the world over, as each of these novels have been on the NYT Bestsellers list for weeks, as and when they were released. The following are the ones that really left their mark on me:

Review : American Sniper (2014)

This movie has been a long time coming. From being linked to rumours of who’ll take the camera to who will play the most decorated sniper in American History. The end product, Clint Eastwood delivers, is a war memoir of a hero and what his life became on returning.

In the SPOTLIGHT/ Musical Breakdowns: Reggae & The 2nd generation Marley’s

It would be unfair to address any work on the Marley’s without acknowledging the history and mystery of Rastafarianism. It originated in the heart of Africa, in the land of Ethiopia. Here came about the religion that redefined the outlook and approach of how life would be lived in Christian Africa and the West Indies. Through this came about an indigenous expression of worship and energy called the Reggae music movement. It was entrenched into the Rastafarian culture and the way the people saw life.

 It was true in every way to what the culture represents. Embodying the spirit of freedom, reflection, forgiveness, mercy and peace. A whole lot of the percussive rhythm in reggae comes from West Indian folk music meshed with popular American genres of the 60’s – Jazz and R&B.

 Enter – Reggae.

Neo Nair Choppers: Edition VIII

Welcome to the final edition of NNC. This batch constitutes 2 primitive and 3 intermediate designs of mine. These are all the designs I've had created over the last 4 years now, that you have seen over 8 editions. I shall resume designing more choppers once I find some more themes to attack. Till then, do mail or Tweet to me any themes you wish to see incorporated into chopper designs.

THE CRUISED MUSCLE

This was my attempt at creating a muscle bike equivalent of a chopper. I took cues from the Ducati monster and a few other Jap monster bikes. I think this ones turned out pretty clean and cool for a muscle chopper

Neo Nair Choppers: Edition VII

This edition is a showdown of how Neo-nair Choppers evolved over time. These are the earliest designs I came up with, while fiddling randomly on the innocuous MS Paint. Who'd have thought, It would lead to the passionate entrapment that led me to create so much more over time and evolve my creative skills.

BLUE DIABLO

This was my first chopper..ever!I know it looks pretty primitive considering the other designs here. I made it keeping in mind colors and paint elements more than design. Albeit, I always had in mind the fluidic uni-body and encased tank look ( So that the insides look like live electric sparks).

In the SPOTLIGHT: Tom Waits

Tom Waits is quite ably the most non-mainstream but influential musician of all time. He won’t be covered by the billboards of the world or rolling stones as one of the greatest song writers of all times besides Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen etc. But quite honestly, this man and his cult following have stood the test of 4 decades of musical madness.

Neo Nair Choppers: Edition V

Hey ! It's bin a while. Here's edition V of Neo-nair Choppers. A fresh set of 2 wheeled, pulled back and muscular beasts await your viewing. Check out this times choppers, this is one edition that is somewhat theme-less. I tried to tread upon abstract designing, just to see where a design would go without prior thought. Just ensuring each element designed made sense when it was put together with the following one, I think the results turned out pretty nice in these 4 specimens

THE YELLOW BASTARD

I took heavy insiration from the Harley VRSCA and thought how I could customize it. My idea was to get it more swanky, more detailed and more bastard-like than a stock monster.

In the SPOTLIGHT: Leonard Cohen

Well people, this piece is going to be straight from the heart... Leonard Cohen is by far the most influential songwriter/musician for me, personally. I’ve heard this man’s discography through and through, there’s not a single second worth of anything below par than sheer musical genius in his work. I was so deeply moved by Leonard Cohen’s song writing style that most of my compositions resonate this unique style of his each time I put my thoughts down. That eclectic mix of literary painting of a landscape with enigmatic rhyme schemes, the feeling it gives you is something that truly falls short of anything comparable. It’s not music, Leonard Cohen is an experience.

The unconventional answer for protecting an unconventional nation: Unifying the elite to serve better and to counter international as well as domestic threats to India.

The waking call for military India, according to the general public perception, is only when there is an official breaking out of war. But, there is a lot more to warfare in the world we live today. Battlefields have evolved since the days when India dug its feet in Kargil last. They do not necessarily have to be the desert covered landscapes or snow-capped peaks. Today’s battles are fought, many a times, in silos and under urban or foreign settings, in lands which might, in no logical way, be connected to a nation’s occupation there.

What are Special Operations Forces?
 

The reference here goes to Special Operations (SpecOps) forces. To Quote Wikipedia on the roles played by the SpecOps, include “Special reconnaissance/military intelligence, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism actions. Special operations are sometimes associated with unconventional warfare, counter-insurgency (operations against insurgents), operations against guerrillas or irregular forces, low-intensity operations, and foreign internal defence.”

Neo Nair Choppers: Edition IV

 Monsters for the 4th edition of Neo-Nair Choppers are here..

SPECIAL (CH)OPERATIONS BIKE

Other than making a really loud sound while starting and grunting on the road as it goes, what about this bike doesn't scream Military operation! Its edgy fender and tank give it the right amount of kick to be called as a military designed vehicle. But somehow I gotta stick with a red seat and handlebars, that contrast it pulls with a green paint job would look brilliant.

Neo Nair Choppers: Edition III

Batch 3 is up, Check it out!

THE REVOLUCION CHOPPER

I was listening to Il Nino's album Revolution Revolucion when writing this album. And I wanted to make something bare boned and would scream ghetto monster. The front spring suspensions, the stripped down plain tank and holes punched into the back fender really did the trick on this one for me atleast.

Neo Nair Choppers: Edition II

Welcome to another edition of Neo-Nair Choppers! Here's a collection of four more awesome beasts from my measly drawing board on MS Paint. I won't go talking much on this one. Check em out and let me know what you think.

THE LONG FORKER

So this one's a throwback to a classic chopper design technique of putting twice as long forks on a bike. It gives a really cruising limousine look if you ask me.

Neo Nair Choppers: Edition I

  So here's introducing a brand new section to our repertoire here. This corner shall be called 'Neo Nair Choppers'(Chopper - Customized and/or hand built cruising bike). I first came across the phenomenon of choppers about 7 years ago, while watching 'The biker build off' that aired on the TLC channel. I was in love from the get go, each custom model was worth drooling an ocean over. 

What caught my attention the most was the sheer amount of customization that is possible on a chopper. Right from major parts such as fuel tanks to minute details such as foot rests. It appeared like a canvas which needed different tools altogether to create upon.

Out of the many ways that stood out in custom building a chopper, I was most intrigued by the 'concept or theme chopper' style. Here, you bike on a theme such as , say, an F16 fighter jet or Shelby Mustang and go about building a bike inspired from those elements.

I started out drawing sketches of these awesome creatures using my own imagination by picking a theme and going about designing a concept bike. It got tougher as staying or carrying pencil and paper everywhere was a hassle. Ergo, I started using the digital equivalent of the simple tools of pencil and paper, that is, MS Paint.

As it turns out, you can do some very interesting and cool stuff with that primitive old toolbox you've had since forever in your PC.

So here's my first edition of chopper designs for you to see. I hope you guys love them .There's about a 30 odd of these unholy beasts I've designed and are awaiting launch. So keep comin' back as I'll keep posting a lot more. 

I don't know about you folks, but I think there's something very Rock n Roll about choppers. Cheers!

(PS: Check the description below each design to know the inspiration for each bike..although some of them are just a motley of inspirations coming together)

 This is my take on a 'Bomber Chopper'. It had to have the meanest possible look ever..what says that better than a mean lookin' grinning tank and horns on the front mud-guard.

Terrorism – An HR and management perspective on how the world of terror thrives

The brand of terrorism has gone global since the 9/11 attacks and the world realized that even the most powerful countries can become a target. The modus operandi of terrorist organizations has become to widen their reign of influence beyond tribals and locals of under-developed and oppressed Middle Eastern countries to not just educated Muslims but also people of other religion even in developed countries. The perspectives of people towards the kind of people terror organizations attract has been limited since the late 80’s to what pictures rural Iraq and Afghanistan draw in their minds. The game today, in this limitless digital age, terror has become organized and flexible in its management than ever.

A TOI-let in need of a thorough scrubbing

The news appalls and the scenes shock...But c’est la vie in the seekers’ sneak world of journalism. The recent happenings are only a choiced pick of events where a targeted ‘Human’ decided to cough back a word or two to the wildly wielded tongue of national news writers. Personally, my feeling towards this kind of culture of journalism has two sides.

One, where I feel that this attitude of journalism, rightly pointed can bring about social change. If a similar zeal with which such dramatic-cinematic matters are pursued, a simple societal issue is picked and followed through...Imagine the gravity it would gather, the sheer volume of buzz. All that effort of an entire segment of news-makers aimed towards bringing the need for change to light.

The merger story of Air India and Indian (airlines) PART 2 – The follies committed by and the eventual light at the end of the tunnel for India’s national carrier.

It is critical to note that the merger did have proper practices put in place to service the changes being brought about in the organization, despite the image the whole issue has at its crust:

The erstwhile CMD and Jt.MD of the Company worked together to steer the merged company on its journey to success. The merged entity comprised 5 Strategic Business Units viz. Corporate Services Group, Passenger Airline, Cargo, Low Cost Airline, MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) & Ground Handling.